St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-16
FOR INSULTING A NUN.
An Army Officer Who Got His De
served Dismissal

served Dismissal.
First Lieut.. BENJAMIN F. HandfOrth,
Eleventh infantry, has just been dis
missed from the army by sentence of a
general court martial-his dismissal to
date Dee. Z, 1Ss7-upou conviction of
conduct unbecoming an officer and
gentleman" There were three specif-
cations to the charge, the first alleging
that he attempted to force an entrance
into the quarters of a brother officer,
and, when resisted, did engage in dis
graceful fight with him. The second
specification alleges that he, Lieut..
Handforth, being a married man, wrote
and sent to Sister Martina, o. 5. B., a
teacher in the Indian school at Standing
Rock agency, OAK. the following letter:
FORT YATES, Oak.
My Dear Sister: You will no doubt
think it very strange that L should write
to you, but hope you will not be angry.
My strong regard for you must at pres
ent be my only apology for writing. but
| hope to be able to see you and explain
more fully. Ihave been in arrest for some
time, and have not been able to obtain
permission to go beyond the limits of
military reservation, otherwise | would
have gone to church or to the school.
am living in the little house next to the
fence. which marks the line between
the post and the Indian reservation. If
it were possible | would like very much
to see you privately, and yet l do not
want anyone besides yourself to know
how anxious | am to see you. If you
can for once break the conventional
rules with which you are surrounded,
you may be able to do me an everlasting
favor. Please be kind enough to call,
or at least let me hear from you. Yours
sincerely. IL.
Strictly confidential.
p. 81 think of you every day and
are devoted to YOU Oh, if you knew
how long to be with you continually
| feel sure you would take pity on me
and at least allow me to see you and
speak to you occasionally. Can you not
come and see me some evening and
allow me to have long confidential
talk with you? l hesitate
TO EXPRESS MYSELF
Oh such a subject in writing. You will
certainly think me foolish, and perhaps
ridicule words and expressions, which,
under other circumstances, would show
themselves to be burning with love. i
feel as though not only my only hope of
earthly happiness, but my only hope
of sheaven depended upon gaining
your love. The restrictions which hedge
you about only serve to make my case
the more desperate and hopeless, and
yet | feel as though was doing Gods
will. To me you represent all that is
good and beautiful in religion; all that
is desirable in heaven. Your church
can spare you far better than L can, and
| cannot believe that God would be so
selfish as to hold you to the strict letter
of your vows when some ones earthly
and eternal happiness depended on their
temporary or partial violation. l have
often felt that if there is such place as
heaven | would not care to go there un-
less | could meet some woman | loved.
Your beautiful eyes haunt me cOntinu
ally, and | cannot bear the thought that
L may never see you again.
b. +. HANDFoRTH.
The third specification charges him
with making insulting propositions to
Mrs. Kate Smith, wife of a private sol
der in Company I, Eleventh infantry
fOrcibly to get her into his private bed
room for criminal purpose. All this
at Fort Yates, Oak.
The sentence of dismissal has been
confirmed by the president.
Lieut.. HandfOrth graduated from the
military academy in June, 1881, having
been appointed to that institution from
New Jersey in September, 1877. He was
one of the best shots in the army. He
married Miss Hunter, from st. Louis,
but his jealousy of her forced her into
securing divorce from him. 1t had
been customary for him to lock her in
room and read to her from the Bible
such portions as treated of the crime of
adultery and It's punishment.